Netanyahu, America & the Road to War in Gaza (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

Summary

In this comprehensive Frontline documentary, the complex and tumultuous relationship between the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the United States, and the persistent conflict with Hamas in Gaza is laid bare. The video delves into historic peace processes, the Oslo Accords, and the recurring cycles of violence. We are taken through the political maneuvers of Netanyahu, the impact of U.S. presidents—from Clinton to Biden—on Middle East diplomacy, and the rise of Hamas as a powerful entity in Gaza. The narrative explores the challenges of peace negotiations, the inevitability of military conflicts, and the underlying tensions that have led to the current state of affairs in Israel and Gaza.

Highlights

• Netanyahu meeting U.S. Presidents and the dual goals of empathy and caution by America. 🇺🇸🤗
• Historical peace processes like the Oslo Accords and their modern implications. 🕊️📜
• Netanyahu's political rise amidst controversy and security challenges. 📈🎭
• The cycle of violence and peace negotiations in the Israel-Palestine conflict. 🔄⚔️
• U.S. Presidents' varied handling of Israeli-Palestinian relations, from optimism to realism. 🇺🇸🌿

Key Takeaways

• Netanyahu's role as both a protector and a controversial figure in Israel's history 🛡️🌀.
• The bear hug analogy illustrating the U.S.'s cautious support of Israel 🤝🐻.
• Biden's struggle to balance support for Israel with calls for humanitarian restraint ⚖️.
• The influence of internal and external political pressures on Israeli leadership 🇮🇱⏳.
• The impact of U.S. foreign policy shifts from Obama to Trump and back to Biden on Israeli-Palestinian relations 🌍🔄.

Overview

The Frontline documentary offers an in-depth look at the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine, centering on the significant role of Benjamin Netanyahu. Known for his security-focused leadership, Netanyahu's tenure has seen numerous conflicts and attempts at peace, such as the historic Oslo Accords which failed to bring lasting resolution. His interactions with U.S. Presidents underscore the delicate balancing act required in international diplomacy.

Netanyahu’s complex relationship with America is characterized by moments of solidarity and tension, as embodied by Biden’s strategic bear hug—symbolizing both steadfast U.S. support for Israel and caution against excessive military action. Through different administrations, America's foreign policy has alternately encouraged negotiations and been accused of hampering them, dramatically impacting the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

The road to Gaza's current state is paved with historical lessons and modern-day challenges. From peace treaties sidelined by terrorist acts to politically charged gestures like the U.S. Embassy's move to Jerusalem, the documentary sheds light on the intricate web of politics, power, and history that continues to shape the lives of people in the region. As leaders grapple with the potential and pitfalls of peace, the path forward remains as uncertain as ever.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Warning The chapter opens with a warning, advising that the program contains graphic imagery and may not be suitable for all audiences, indicating viewer discretion. It introduces the serious and violent nature of the content by depicting events where children are taken hostage and young individuals at a music festival are murdered by radical Islamic terrorists of Hamas. The unfolding global impact of Hamas's shocking assault on Israel, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, is highlighted, emphasizing the barbaric acts committed.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Hamas's Shocking Assault and America's Support The chapter discusses a brutal assault by Hamas, described as shocking and savage, which took hostages and captured global attention. The retaliation by Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, comes as a significant point, with Netanyahu visibly affected by the tragedy. This occurrence prompts a visit from the American president, implying support from the United States amidst the crisis.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Hamas Takes Hostages, Israel Responds This chapter discusses a significant security incident involving hostages taken by Hamas and the subsequent response by Israel. It highlights the political implications for Israeli leadership, particularly focusing on Prime Minister Netanyahu who is known for his strong security stance. The event marks a severe day in Israel’s history due to the high number of casualties and fatalities, posing a challenge to Netanyahu’s reputation as a security-focused leader. It also mentions the international aspect, with President Biden’s involvement, indicating the global attention and response to the situation.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Netanyahu's Security Legacy The chapter discusses a symbolic interaction between a person descending from Air Force One and Netanyahu, illustrating a gesture of solidarity from America towards Israel. However, the embrace, referred to as a 'bear hug,' also signifies a dual intention: while it offers comfort and support, it simultaneously acts as a restraint or a warning. This duality in the gesture encapsulates the mixed objectives of the trip.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Biden and Netanyahu's Meeting The chapter discusses a meeting between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid rising tensions following Israel's retaliation against Hamas. Both Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unprecedented action of joining Netanyahu's war cabinet to deliberate on plans and address the escalating civilian toll in Gaza, underlining the delicate and cautious approach urged by the U.S. leadership.
• 04:30 - 05:30: America's Warning from History The chapter titled 'America's Warning from History' discusses a significant moment in U.S.-Israeli relations, where for the first time, someone sat inside the Israeli War cabinet, indicating a lack of trust and the desire to monitor the situation closely. This event is paralleled with the post-9/11 era in the United States, highlighting how in pursuit of justice, mistakes were made, serving as a historical warning.
• 05:30 - 06:30: Gaza's Current Tragedy The narrator compares the situation in Gaza to America's response after 9/11, cautioning against overreaction and unintended consequences. They note how America's aggressive military actions post-9/11 led to many unforeseen problems. Currently, Gaza is heavily damaged, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resists international demands for a ceasefire. The underlying issue seems to be a lack of clear direction or resolution on what comes next.
• 06:30 - 07:30: Rising Tensions Between U.S. and Israel The chapter discusses the increasing tensions between the U.S. and Israel, primarily focusing on the conflict involving Hamas in Gaza.
• 07:30 - 08:30: Netanyahu's Strategy and Past Conflicts The chapter discusses the current strategy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, particularly in the context of recent and past conflicts. A key focus is on the events of October 7th, highlighting that the emphasis is on the immediate situation rather than potential future consequences or international criticism. The chapter also delves into the growing tensions between Netanyahu and the American president, questioning the effectiveness and risks associated with the close political alliance ('hug') between the U.S. and Israel.
• 08:30 - 09:30: Oslo Accords and Missed Opportunities This chapter analyzes the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and PM Benjamin Netanyahu's response amidst a crisis. It reflects on Netanyahu's resistance to international, particularly American, pressures to engage in the peace process, which is traced back to the Oslo Accords and subsequent failures. The focus is on the shifting strategies, emphasizing targeted actions against Hamas instead of broader military campaigns. The narrative questions the turning points that led to the current situation marked by extensive violence.
• 09:30 - 10:30: Netanyahu's Opposition to Peace The chapter titled 'Netanyahu's Opposition to Peace' discusses the lead-up to a significant conflict, which some consider inevitable, in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian situation. It reflects on a period 30 years prior when there was a hopeful outlook for peace. The transcript hints at a speech by the president regarding an honorable compromise, juxtaposed against the current status of tensions.
• 10:30 - 11:30: Hamas's Resistance to Peace This chapter discusses a historic peace agreement signed at the White House, involving two long-time adversaries: Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and the PLO Chairman, Yasser Arafat, reached a covert agreement, marking a significant milestone in their conflict. This peace deal, known as the Oslo Accords, represents the first instance where both national movements, representing Israelis and Palestinians, have agreed to mutually recognize one another.
• 11:30 - 12:30: Political Upheaval in Israel The chapter 'Political Upheaval in Israel' discusses a significant diplomatic effort involving President Bill Clinton, intended to bring peace to a longstanding conflict. The context is the ongoing violence and the complex political situation between Israel and Palestine. President Clinton initiated a peace process that aimed to provide Palestinians with their own state, utilizing land captured by Israel during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. This initiative was deeply personal for Clinton, described as 'his baby,' signaling his commitment and investment in the peace process. The chapter highlights the visible tensions during the peace negotiations, which were apparent even during the ceremony on the White House lawn.
• 12:30 - 13:30: Escalating Violence In the chapter titled 'Escalating Violence,' there is a tense situation involving a character named Rabine. Rabine is adamant that 'our fat' (a character or group referred to as such) must not wear anything that resembles a uniform. Additionally, he insists that no weapons should be brought, particularly to the White House, noting a past tendency for bringing a pistol. A critical moment arises when the president instructs Rabine to shake hands with someone, leaving Rabine visibly shocked and motionless, as if he had been physically struck.
• 13:30 - 14:30: Hamas's Rise to Power This chapter opening reflects on the transformation of a figure traditionally known as a terrorist to a peacemaker, marked by a significant handshake. It questions whether symbolic gestures like this handshake can bring about changes in the Palestinian culture and mindset.
• 14:30 - 15:30: Netanyahu's Political Strategies The chapter discusses political strategies employed by Netanyahu, focusing on the tension between peace initiatives and opposition from various political factions, including ultra-religious, right-wing, and security-focused conservatives. It highlights the rise of a 43-year-old leader within the Likud party as a central figure in opposing the peace process, reflecting the broader domestic challenges within Israeli politics regarding coexistence and peace efforts.
• 15:30 - 16:30: American Influence and Elections The chapter 'American Influence and Elections' primarily focuses on the political landscape involving Benjamin Netanyahu, referred to as BB. It discusses his perspectives on issues surrounding the PLO and the Islamic State, highlighting that these groups are very close in terms of proximity to major cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Netanyahu views their presence as not conducive to peace, instead suggesting an increased likelihood of conflict. The chapter also touches on the public dissent within Israel, with ongoing protests against Netanyahu's government, criticizing its inability to maintain order and protect Jewish citizens. Additionally, there are concerns about a potential Palestinian state's impact on Israel's security.
• 16:30 - 17:30: Obama's Administration and Peace Efforts This chapter explores the perspectives and actions of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding peace efforts and negotiations with the Palestinians during Obama's administration. Despite increasing political and public pressure, Netanyahu viewed any potential agreements with skepticism and mistrust, perceiving them as threats to Israel's security. He fundamentally distrusted the possibility of a successful deal with the Palestinians and opposed engagement in peace negotiations.
• 17:30 - 18:30: Mitchell's Resignation and Obama's Frustration The chapter discusses the challenges faced during the peace process between Israel and Palestine. A suicide bomber from a recently formed Islamic militant group called Hamas boarded a bus with the intention of killing Israeli school children, showcasing the rising opposition to the peace process among a faction of Palestinians. Despite the signing of the Oslo agreement, which had the support of most Palestinians, this core group remained intent on sabotage.
• 18:30 - 19:30: Obama's Controversial Speech In the chapter titled 'Obama's Controversial Speech', the transcript discusses the Palestinian skepticism towards the peace process. It highlights the viewpoint that the peace talks would never succeed, advocating for armed struggle as the only means to liberate Palestine. Hamas is portrayed as a symbol of this sentiment, with its founding declaration explicitly calling for the destruction of Israel and condemning negotiation efforts. These tensions posed another challenge to the already fragile Middle East peace process, as Hamas's bold attacks intensified Israeli opposition to the peace talks and contributed to the political rise of Benjamin Netanyahu.
• 19:30 - 20:30: Obama and Netanyahu's Showdown The chapter titled 'Obama and Netanyahu's Showdown' discusses the tensions and confrontations between the government of Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The chapter highlights Netanyahu's alleged complacency towards Hamas, arguing that while he pretends to combat them, he actually permits their attacks against Israel. The situation has led to mass protests and increased resistance to accords put forward, particularly from right-wing groups in Israel.
• 20:30 - 21:30: Netanyahu's Domestic Challenges The chapter discusses Netanyahu's domestic challenges, focusing on a specific event where he publicly criticized Yasar and the government of Yak. The discussion highlights the intense and ugly nature of the political climate, marked by a high level of vitriol and anger among the crowd. This scene exemplifies the broader domestic issues Netanyahu faces, illustrating the divisive and contentious political environment in which he operates.
• 21:30 - 22:30: Iran Deal and Netanyahu's Campaign In the chapter titled 'Iran Deal and Netanyahu's Campaign,' the focus is on the demonstrations and public sentiment surrounding Netanyahu's political stance and campaign strategies. It highlights the extreme portrayal and opposition he faced, such as comparisons to Nazis and controversial imagery used against him. Advisors around Netanyahu recognized the presence of radical elements within the National Religious camp and the need for calming measures, even if only as gestures, to mitigate potential volatility.
• 22:30 - 23:30: Netanyahu's Electoral Success and Hamas Strategy The chapter discusses Netanyahu's electoral strategies and the impact on Israeli politics, focusing on the events leading to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. It highlights the political tension during that period and how public rallies played a significant role in shaping the political discourse. Rabin's assassination by a right-wing Israeli Jew, Yigal Amir, marked a pivotal moment in Israeli history, showcasing the internal divisions and extremist sentiments within the country.
• 23:30 - 24:30: Trump's Middle East Strategy The chapter details the shocking assassination of Israel's Prime Minister, Yak Rin, causing a national turmoil amidst growing aspirations for peace. Crowds in Tel Aviv erupt into chants calling BB a murderer, starkly capturing the nation's sentiment and unrest.
• 24:30 - 25:30: Trump Administration and Israel's Policies The chapter discusses the assassination of a world leader, likely referencing Yitzhak Rabin, and the political tensions surrounding it. It highlights the blame placed on Netanyahu by Rabin's widow and the impact of the assassination on both Israeli and Palestinian communities. The narrative emphasizes the discourse on political incitement and its potential consequences.
• 25:30 - 26:30: Annexation Plans and Arab World Reaction The chapter discusses annexation plans and how the Arab world reacted to these plans. A notable incident mentioned is a divisive event in Kion and Jerusalem involving an individual in a Nazi uniform. This event led to significant controversy, with different parties assigning blame and leadership distancing themselves from the decisions made at the time. Additionally, there is a mention of a close advisor who disagrees with accusations regarding the murder of the Prime Minister, indicating differing narratives and tensions surrounding these historical events.
• 26:30 - 27:30: The Abraham Accords The chapter titled 'The Abraham Accords' discusses a political tactic used predominantly by left-leaning adversaries to undermine Netan's political reputation and delegitimize the positions of leud in the open political discourse in Israel.
• 27:30 - 28:30: Hamas's Reaction and Failing Strategies The chapter discusses the aftermath of the assassination of a prime minister who was an advocate for peace. After his death, the peace process he supported was at risk. His successor, Shimon Perez, attempted to continue his legacy by running for election to keep the peace process going. This election posed him against Biby Netanyahu, whose popularity had diminished following the assassination. The chapter touches on how Netanyahu's perception and thoughts were influenced during this period.
• 28:30 - 29:30: Biden's Administration and Israel The chapter discusses the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas during Biden's administration. It highlights a specific incident where a suicide bombing occurred on a bus in Jerusalem, causing significant casualties. The attack is identified as an attempt by some Palestinian groups to sabotage the peace process with Israel, reminiscent of past tensions during Rabin's time.
• 29:30 - 30:30: Biden's Diplomatic Balancing Act The chapter discusses a series of tragic events marked by suicide bombings, orchestrated by Hamas, leading to significant loss of life and injuries. The number 18 bus bombings are specifically highlighted as part of these orchestrated attacks, underscoring the continuation of violence that has become a frequent occurrence, with sirens and the news of deaths interrupting daily life. These attacks illustrate the complex backdrop of security and diplomacy challenges faced by political leaders.
• 30:30 - 31:30: Shifting Alliances and Strategies The chapter discusses a period of political unrest in Israel, marked by a loss of faith in the peace process among citizens. Grassroots slogans like 'this pie is killing us' reflected the frustration and fear of terrorism, as attacks became more frequent and visible. The ongoing violence was perceived as a result of failed political strategies. During this time, Netanyahu's popularity began to rise as he effectively communicated with the public and addressed their concerns about safety and terrorism.
• 31:30 - 32:30: Conclusion and Uncertain Future The chapter discusses the political rhetoric and strategies surrounding the fight against terrorism, particularly in relation to suicide bombers. A figure emerges, claiming they are equipped to handle such threats due to their military background, experience, and resolve. This individual criticizes the Oslo Accords and promises enhanced security measures as part of their political platform.

Netanyahu, America & the Road to War in Gaza (full documentary) | FRONTLINE Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] this program contains graphic imagery which may not be suitable for all audiences viewer discretion is advised children taken hostage of young people at a music festival murdered in coold Blood by the radical Islamic terrorists of Hamas World wi Hamas unleashes a shocking assault on Israel leaving hundreds dead the barbarism the
• 00:30 - 01:00 savagery stunning mankind Hamas taking hostages Isel responding saying Hamas will bear the consequences of the attack it was 11 days after hamas's attack on Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Israel's longest serving prime minister was at beneran airport to meet the American president you could see that he was lost he was lost he understand that this is huge huge huge tragedy for Israel but
• 01:00 - 01:30 also for him as a part of Israel's history bi Netanyahu has always sort of prided himself on being Mr security so for the worst day ever for the most severe suffering of fatalities and casualties in Israel itself for this to occur on his watch it is a tragedy he is now descending see President Biden come down
• 01:30 - 02:00 the stairs from Air Force One onto the tarmac and he heads straight for Netanyahu and he wraps his arms around him it was an expression of America's solidarity with Israel but it also carried a warning it's called a bear hug but in Hebrew a bear hug can mean wrapping your arms around somebody in order to restrain them as much as to comfort them and that captured I think the Dual goals of this trip right hug
• 02:00 - 02:30 them yes we are with you but caution at the same time be careful this is an extremely delicate Journey now Israel had just begun its retaliation against Hamas and later that day Biden and Secretary of State Anthony blinken took the unprecedented step of joining netanyahu's War cabinet to discuss their plans and the escalating civilian toll in Gaza the fact that state Secretary blinkin and President Biden in
• 02:30 - 03:00 on sitting inside the Israeli War cabinet which never happened in the history of the relations between the two countries this is the clearest example they just don't trust them they want to be there and make sure that things are not getting out of control after 9/11 we were enraged in the United States while we sought Justice and got Justice we also made mistakes it was a warning
• 03:00 - 03:30 to Netanyahu and to the Israeli people don't make the mistake that we Americans made after 9/11 which was to overreact to do what our enemies wanted us to do and to unleash a military conflict that causes us all sorts of additional Problems 2 months later Gaza is in Ruins prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to push back against international calls for ceasefire the problem is that no one knows
• 03:30 - 04:00 what will need to happen for Israelis to feel satisfied that they've achieved their stated objective of having destroyed Hamas Gaza has become a graveyard for children thousands of Palestinians are dead and so all that's left is to just keep killing and bombing and killing and bombing until when prioritized the hostages rather than with Hamas still holding hostages Netanyahu has pushed ahead from the Israeli
• 04:00 - 04:30 perspective what matters right now is what happened October 7th and there's less and less talk about what would happen in Gaza about the consequences about the world's criticism and now tensions are mounting between the Israeli Prime Minister and the American president who' hugged in solidarity hugging Netanyahu turns out to be a very risky strategy there are many people who look at the situation and say well what has this be hug got at us the US is
• 04:30 - 05:00 pressing Israel to shift to precise targeting of Hamas leaders rather than widespread bombing and ground for Benjamin netan this moment of Crisis is the culmination of a 30-year conflict over a failed peace process he has long resisted over American pressure to come to terms with the Palestinians it's not going to happen and over the security of his country that he vowed to defend with all of this death and destruction it's hard not to look back and say where did the you know Road turn when did it
• 05:00 - 05:30 become inevitable that we would head to this cataclysmic conflict the second guessing is [Music] haunting preparations are underway we expect to see the president shortly for what he called an historic and honorable compromise 30 years ago a hopeful moment in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians it's a day for optim
• 05:30 - 06:00 two sworn enemies arrived at the White House to sign a peace agreement the deal was struck in secret by the principal Israeli Prime Minister Yak Rabin a former General represented Israel have now agreed to lay down their guns representing the Palestinians yaser arat the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization this is historic breakthrough between Israel and the PLO two national movements competing for the same space and for the first time they're prepared to recognize each other known as the Oslo Accords supported by
• 06:00 - 06:30 President Bill Clinton it was designed to end years of Violence by laying out a peace process a deal that could give Palestinians their own state and land captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab Israeli War President Clinton felt this was his baby it charts a course toward reconciliation between two peoples who have both known the bitterness of Exile on the White House lawn the tensions were visible the last minute there were
• 06:30 - 07:00 issues rabine is insisting that our fat can't come in a uni anything looks like a a uniform we're telling our fat don't even you can't come with a you don't bring a weapon you he's always always had a pissy you don't bring a weapon to the White House then at a point the president looks at rabine and he says you're going to have to shake his hand and rabine looked like someone had punched him in the stomach and he stood there for moment
• 07:00 - 07:30 this is man he considered a terrorist all his life the first and then the handshake an image that would become iconic these hands That Shook knew nothing but to shoot the trigger the bullets the bombs the fight and the question to me is can this hat Shake lead to the culture in the minds of Palestinians and
• 07:30 - 08:00 Israelis that coexistence is possible that peace is possible to Live and Let [Applause] Live but in Israel an outcry against the peace process had been building among the ultra religious right-wing and security-minded [Applause] conservatives the face of the opposition the 43-year-old leader of the cud party
• 08:00 - 08:30 Benjamin Netanyahu known as BB the PLO Islamic State 15 minutes from Jerusalem or 5 minutes from T Aviv is a prescription not for peace but for dangerous and renewed conflict week after week Netanyahu watched the protest Bill we're demonstrating against the inability of the government to maintain order in this country and to protect the rights of Jews living in their own land concerned of pal inian state would pose
• 08:30 - 09:00 a security risk to Israel Netanyahu maneuvered the growing anger into a political force Netanyahu saw a moment of betrayal and Peril and an agreement that would never and could never work he did not believe in the possibility of a deal with the Palestinians he didn't trust them he didn't like them he doesn't and he doesn't want want to have a deal with them he didn't want to have
• 09:00 - 09:30 a deal with them suicide bomber boarded the bus at the time among the Palestinians there was also a rising faction opposed to the peace process the car bomb was aimed at killing the maximum number of Israeli school children a recently formed Islamic militant group started setting off suicide bombs inside Israel it's name Hamas when the Oslo agreement is signed most Palestinians said let's give this a chance but there was that core
• 09:30 - 10:00 constituency among Palestinians who said the peace process is a sham it can never succeed only armed struggle can liberate Palestine and Hamas became the embodiment of that sentiment hamas's founding declaration called for the destruction of Israel and condemned all attempts at negotiation it was another test for the already strained Middle East peace process their increasingly Brazen attacks would fuel Israeli opposition to the peace talk and the rise of Benjamin netan Arad is a
• 10:00 - 10:30 very weak readed indeed he gives cover to the Hamas he makes a pretense of fighting them but effectively allows them to attack us with impunity a mass protest reinforced opposition to the Accord from rightwing groups netanyahu's opposition movement reached a fever pitch in October 1995 when tens of thousands crammed into the center of Jerusalem From A Balcony overlooking Zion Square he addressed the
• 10:30 - 11:00 crowd crowd was with him as he attacked yasar [Applause] arat and then the government of yak there's a really ugly character to it the level of vitriol the anger the
• 11:00 - 11:30 scope of these demonstrations the kind of incitement the portrayal of rabine dressing rabine in Nazi uniforms or putting a cafe on him there were moments when Netanyahu was advised that you know there are real nutcases in the National Religious camp that we see that we need to calm down even gesturally
• 11:30 - 12:00 nanahu never did that he never did that to his enormous [Music] [Applause] discredit then a month later at the end of a rally of his own Yak Rabin was gunned [Applause] down the Assassin a right Wing Israeli Jew one lone gunman was taken yal Amir
• 12:00 - 12:30 truly shocking news from the Middle East tonight Israel's prime minister Yak Rin has been assassinated an evening spent dreaming of Peace turns into a national nightmare outside the hospital the crowd began to chant BB is a [Applause] murderer from Tel Aviv where this evening there is sign says BB rabin's
• 12:30 - 13:00 blood is on your hands an assassin has taken yet another world leader away from us it was just after the biggest peace rally in Tel Aviv rabin's Widow blamed Netanyahu for contributing to her husband's death assination of yak Rabin has also produced shock in the Palestinian Community un said so on worldwide television your husband pointed the finger at Mr Netanyahu and said you must stop this incitement to what extent do you blame Mr Netanyahu and the lud for
• 13:00 - 13:30 what has happened I do I do blame them Nali in Kion and Jerusalem that showed him in the uniform of a Nazi so Mr bi nany now he can say From Here to Eternity that he didn't support it and didn't agree with it but he was there and he didn't stop it n's close advisor at the time vehemently disagrees the attempt to pin on him the murder of the Prime Minister is a
• 13:30 - 14:00 cheap political propaganda trick that was taken by his political opponents mostly from the left in order to delegitimize netan as a political public and to delegitimize the positions of leud uh in the Israeli open political debate
• 14:00 - 14:30 your prime minister was a martyr for peace but he was a victim of hate after rabin's death the peace process he had championed was in Jeopardy Shalom his successor Shimon Perez would now try to win an election to keep it alive that meant facing Biby Netanyahu whose standing in the poles had fallen in the wake of the assassination people who spoke to him and those days have said that he thought
• 14:30 - 15:00 that his career was over then as election day [Music] neared 10 kg of explosives reduced this commuted boss Hamas had struck again the number 18 bus right through the heart of Jerusalem bombs packed with nails and shrapnel exploded in Israel Sunday there were some Palestinian groups trying to make sure that the sabotaging of the pce process Rabin was
• 15:00 - 15:30 assassinated let us stop the whole process this morning the sound of sirens again interrupted the morning 6 days later the number 18 bus again police comb the hellish wreckage for clues about a suspect the bus bombings were part of a series of Hamas attacks that killed more than 60 people and injured hundreds did not could not believe the Morning News another Blood Sunday a suicide bomber has once again blown up a
• 15:30 - 16:00 city Israel's lost faith in the process in that process one of the slogans that came from Grassroots was this pie is killing us you see terrorism exploding in our streets literally so the only thing that we can do uh is not to continue on a failed course this is bound to lead to more and more terrorism that's exactly what's been happening Netanyahu began to climb in the pole he was able to speak to the masses and
• 16:00 - 16:30 translate the horror of suicide bombers into political power and say I will be able to solve this I am strong I come from uh military background uh I have the experience and the spirit to stop suicide bombers there are many ways of fighting terrorism but the first decision is to fight it that yah had railed against the Oslo Accords and promised security to
• 16:30 - 17:00 the growing number of Israelis scarred by the violence the difference between Mr Netanyahu and the current Shimon Perez is a mere fraction of 1% vamin Netanyahu is on his way to the United States for his first visit since becoming Israel's prime minister Benjamin netanyahu's dealings with the president of the United States will be of intense interest just over one month later prime minister Netanyahu was at the White House prime minister Netanyahu
• 17:00 - 17:30 will hold a joint news conference after they meet Tuesday behind closed doors Clinton would demand Nano continue the Oslo Peace process and personally meet with yaser Arafat it didn't take long for the meeting to become contentious he came in pretty full of himself and he was pretty much telling the president how to deal with the Arabs he understood how to deal with the Arabs his sort of posture
• 17:30 - 18:00 was let me tell you about the Middle East and he then proceeded to lecture the pro the president on the realities of the Middle East here's the way it is nanah who wanted to make clear that you know even though the previous government had signed the agreement that he had some real reservations about it and so you know I think that that that's what got off to a bad
• 18:00 - 18:30 start and so you know when the meeting's over Clinton turns he says who does he think the superpower is under pressure from Clinton Netanyahu agreed to a compromis gesture he would meet with yaser Arafat and I think there's a moment where Netanyahu has to decide can he try to block the actual implementation of
• 18:30 - 19:00 the agreement but concede some things that Clinton was pressing for in terms of an on camera for instance handshake with Arafat I think that was the [Music] calculation that day I was there and I was thinking how how will this happen I was trying to do whatever I can to make sure that if needs to I will employ every damage control mechanism every crisis management
• 19:00 - 19:30 everything and it was a meeting Netanyahu had insisted would never happen very very hard very hard he swore he will never Shake AR's hand once the handshake started they kept coming and he took other steps he pulled Israeli troops out of a key City in the West Bank and signed a treaty agreeing to further Implement
• 19:30 - 20:00 Oslo but close observers say he was slow walking the peace process n is an ideologue very deeply in every step of his Premiership starting in 96 everything he's doing he's thinking how do I limit this thing how do I make sure I don't have to give back more land and if I do what's the the smallest area of concession uh that I can
• 20:00 - 20:30 make the compromises would prove fateful for netan nobody was happy with him the left weren't happy with him for what he was doing to undermine Oslo and the right wasn't happy with him for what he was doing to keep Oslo he was in a sort of impossible balancing [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] act at that point prime minister's conservative base
• 20:30 - 21:00 folds and some people on the conservative right work with the Israeli left to bring down prime minister [Music] Netanyahu in 1999 he'd lose his bid for reelection but he' take with him some key lessons one his view of democratic liberal American Presidents as the Rival
• 21:00 - 21:30 if not the enemy to the fact that concessions on the peace process could lead to his [Music] downfall nany would spend the next several years working his way back into [Music] Power Israelis and Palestinians in a last ditch pitch for Middle East peace B yau watched as Clinton brought his
• 21:30 - 22:00 left-wing successor ahud Barack and yaser Arafat together at Camp David for another Peace effort that would have created a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank among the difficult issues left unresolved was the control of Jerusalem when Camp David happened the Palestinian team said we don't think the parties are prepared the groundwork has not been done I think the problem with
• 22:00 - 22:30 Clinton was that he believed that everything could just be undone with some magic wand Barack made a a far-reaching offer I think went further than he was planning to do but for Arafat it was unacceptable and he said if I accept this you'll be you want to walk behind my casket that's what he said I had a dinner with one of the
• 22:30 - 23:00 former pal negotiators and I won't name him because this was done in confidence and he said to me we and the delegation all wanted to accept it and rfat just sort of blew us away and he said can you imagine where we would be today if we had said yes uh and you know I think about that conversation often right
• 23:00 - 23:30 now the failure of the deal at Camp David set in motion a new round of frustration and violence on both sides Palestinians were fed up there were years of failed negotiations security for them went backwards freedom of movement went backwards freedom of religion went backwards the economy went backwards and there was a point at which
• 23:30 - 24:00 Palestinians said enough we are done with this process of negotiations so everything unravels everything unravels that cycle of violence in which there were fairly High casualties on both sides that definitely soured both publics uh Israeli public and the Palestinian public against the notion of a p peaceful
• 24:00 - 24:30 resolution we see a rightward shift in Israeli politics happening around that same time and we also see a shift happening on the Palestinian side where opponents of the peace process violent opponents of the peace process like Hamas are emboldened by the violence uh on the one hand but also the failure of negotiations by 2005 Netanyahu was back
• 24:30 - 25:00 at the center of the Israeli government he was Finance Minister in the administration of prime minister Ariel Chiron who had a new plan for dealing with the Palestinians no negotiations instead a unilateral withdrawal of Israeli settlements and troops from the Gaza Strip the Israelis concluded a long time ago that they didn't actually want Gaza you know they weren't planning to Annex it they wanted actually pull out of it they're going to get the heck out and it's up to the
• 25:00 - 25:30 Palestinians what they want to do with it at that point Netanyahu grew uneasy about the implications of handing over Gaza to the Palestinians he consulted a former military intelligence Chief netan asked me what is my view and I was totally against it by evacuating all our forces we allow Gaza to be an extreme country with which will be controlled by Hamas a week before the pull out
• 25:30 - 26:00 Netanyahu resigned in protest I cannot be a partner to a move that I think compromises the security of Israel Jewish settlers have until midnight tonight to get out of Gaza or be removed by force when the pull out happened the Army had to forcibly remove many Israeli settlers from their homes deeply dividing the country this is just a
• 26:00 - 26:30 trauma for the nation of Israel dividing their country hitting the right wing against the [Music] Army in Washington President George W bush had been pushing the Palestinians to quickly take advantage of the moment and hold Democratic elections Mr President we will work with you to help realize the dream of a free and Democratic Palestine the Bush Administration threw its
• 26:30 - 27:00 support behind the Palestinian leader Mahmud abas who' taken over since the death of yasar Arafat welcome back to the White House abas and his F party were unpopular among many Palestinians who saw them as corrupt and ineffective Hamas decided to run against them in 2006 when Hamas runs they run a disciplined campaign the slogan was we'll provide good governance will fight corruption and Islam is the answer
• 27:00 - 27:30 that's how they ran it was open free elections which were promoted by the United States of America not by us we didn't like the idea but under the pressure of the Americans we did it and Hamas won this screaming Victory by Hamas is being described as a political earthquake already though shocks being felt in Gaza in the city hamas's election victory in 20 6 was a surprise to everyone including
• 27:30 - 28:00 Hamas Hamas was designated by Israel by the United States and by many European countries as a terrorist organization so this was not a government that they could deal with showed the Frau consequences of of a democracy agenda sometimes democracy doesn't lead you to the results you actually want as we've been reporting here there's been a bloody and violent takeover of power in
• 28:00 - 28:30 Gaza having won the election in Gaza Hamas soon took complete control driving out its rivals in a violent Civil War Mahmud abbas's fataa party retreated to the West Bank City of rala Gaza would be hamas's stronghold Gaza becomes a fortress for an organization whose founding Charter talks about killing Jews and eliminating Israel and they are now now not just a terrorist organization in Gaza but the governing
• 28:30 - 29:00 organization in Gaza and that means that the Israelis have to figure out how to deal with them the era's crossing point between Gaza and Israel is now barred to almost all Palestinians the Israeli government imposed a blockade on Gaza it said it was trying to stop the group from bringing in weapons and prevent its Fighters Crossing into Israel the civilian population are facing increasing desperation and misery but it also trapped the population again Israel says that garans will not starve on a
• 29:00 - 29:30 more basic diet the notion that you could keep 2 million people locked up indefinitely with no real economy who are entirely dependent on Israel opening and closing the border to allow movement of goods and people in where majority of the people are now impoverished I think was not only absurd but also quite cruel because it depended on per perodic predictable eruptions of
• 29:30 - 30:00 violence that from Israel's standpoint were acceptable as Netanyahu had predicted within a year Hamas was firing rockets and mors into Israel Israel responded with air strikes it would become a recurring cycle by 2008 Netanyahu was once again running
• 30:00 - 30:30 for prime minister with a campaign slogan of strong against Hamas he is a great politician and he has understood the DNA of the Israeli [Music] public he understands you have to look him in the eye and you have to say I'll keep you safe Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have locked up the prime minister's office he was reelected amid growing fear of
• 30:30 - 31:00 Hamas attacks but during the runup to his victory a new president had entered the White House Netanyahu was concerned I happened to be on a reporting trip in Jerusalem and I went into the coffee shop at the King David Hotel there was one other person there and it was Netanyahu sitting in a corner by himself reading newspaper papers there was one thing in his mind who is
• 31:00 - 31:30 this guy Obama who is he what does he really like and he wanted very much to point out to me as if I didn't know it that Obama's middle name was Hussein and that his father was a Muslim what kind of objectivity could this man bring to bear on Israel issues from his first day in office President Obama had set a new
• 31:30 - 32:00 tone his first phone call was to Mahmud Abbas he started off by sending the right signals to Palestinians and I found that um very sincere because he didn't need to make that phone call Mr President thank you for this opportunity later for his first television interview he chose an Arab TV network I have Muslim members of my
• 32:00 - 32:30 family uh I have uh lived in Muslim countries my job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world it is my privilege to come here and he signaled to Palestinians and Israelis that he wanted to restart the peace process as history shows us that strong and sustained American engagement can
• 32:30 - 33:00 Bridge divides and build the capacity that supports progress in May 2009 he invited Netanyahu to the White House all right everybody just tell me when everybody set up great uh well listen I I first of all want to thank uh prime minister Netanyahu for making this visit Obama took a hard line with Netanyahu he pressed the Prime Minister on a key issue stopping the construction of
• 33:00 - 33:30 Israeli settlements in the West Bank on land captured in the 67 war and claimed by the Palestinians it wasn't a request it was a demand and I think that this shocked uh netan shocked the people around netan and sort of gave proof to the people who had been whispering in nal's ears that this guy's up to no good that settlements have to be stopped uh in order for us to move forward that's a difficult issue I
• 33:30 - 34:00 recognize that but it's an important one and it has to be addressed the signal he was sending to the Israelis was one of I believe that this has to come to an end they need to hear that they can't build Israeli settlements any longer there has to be an an end to it for Netanyahu his first meeting with the president couldn't have gone worse I think that recognized in Obama suddenly a person who was hellbent on setting up a Palestinian
• 34:00 - 34:30 State they were better behaved than before and I remember him coming back from his first meeting with President Obama something that tells him that it's going to be a different president super intelligent lawyer he has a vision and something in what we in Hebrew called the the soul is to called to be connected to
• 34:30 - 35:00 Israel once again Netanyahu was at odds with an American President Obama's peace efforts over the next few years wouldn't be able to break the cycle of violence that had been raging between Israel and the Palestinians now Israel is carrying out brand new air strikes in the Gaza Strip today new explosions in Gaza fresh Israeli air strike Sirens warned of another round of Hamas Rockets since the fighting begin Obama would send his veteran conflict negotiator George Mitchell to the region more than 20
• 35:00 - 35:30 times Hammer security forces the Target in a third day of Israeli missile strikes in [Music] Gaza emotions were very high and very negative there was a lot of hostility uh a lot of uh feelings of victimization on both sides uh the circumstances were not conducive to
• 35:30 - 36:00 moving forward Mitchell says that he will be going back to the region in the next few days neither side was ready to do a deal back again in Israel eventually Mitchell gave up he submitted his letter of resignation in 2011 I withdrew I concluded that the level of mistrust between both societies made it highly unlikely
• 36:00 - 36:30 that they would be able to overcome that level of mistrust and reach agreement the president of the United States Barack Obama with his Middle East efforts in trouble Obama doubled down for 6 months we have witnessed an extraordinary change taking place in the Middle East and North Africa amid the Arab spring he delivered a speech at the state department that lasted nearly an
• 36:30 - 37:00 hour but would be remembered for just one line we believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps that Israel should return land it captured in the 67 War to form a Palestinian state was a familiar demand but one never endorsed so publicly by a US president became the headline the headline of the New York Times was President Obama endorses the 67 borders
• 37:00 - 37:30 the rest of the speech about the Arab Spring went all virtually unreported now for Israel This was um this was a major development Netanyahu believes if you have a Palestinian state in anywhere approximating the 67 borders the potential for peace is zero that the capacity for Israel to maintain its Security even in the state it's in now will be radically
• 37:30 - 38:00 diminished the White House had not briefed Netanyahu and as it turned out he was planning a trip to Washington the next day from netanyahu's point of view he was convinced that this was an attempt to Ambush him embarrass him and put him in a situation where uh you know the president was was from Nan's point of view weakening his Israel's negotiating position by declaring a a stance on the 67 lines and so he was Furious about
• 38:00 - 38:30 it when Netanyahu landed his Ambassador could tell there would be trouble I'd never seen him like that coming out of the plane there was there was no smile there's no wave and uh you can almost imagine steam coming out of his ears just as in their first meeting the Press was summoned all right everybody set up all good let me first of all welcome once again
• 38:30 - 39:00 uh prime minister Netanyahu and I want to but this time indicate appre B Netanyahu would lecture Barack Obama on the peace process and Hamas Israel obviously cannot be asked to negotiate with a government that is backed by the Palestinian version of al-Qaeda you're watching President Obama there with his face in his hand and you can tell it's not going over well this is this is his house and to be lectured in his office um rankles Israel cannot negotiate with
• 39:00 - 39:30 a Palestinian government that is backed by Hamas Hamas is the president watching it on fold Chief of Staff Bill Dy Bill Dy standing next to me and he's going outrageous outrageous and he's just I mean it's like he's almost levitating and because Mr President history will not give the Jewish people another chance Obama was treated to a lecture on Jewish and Israeli history that just went on and on and and and deeply offended deeply offended
• 39:30 - 40:00 Obama and his people it's the ancient nation of Israel and you know we've been around for almost 4,000 years we've experienced struggle and suffering like no other people there was a sense of G what G after the public dressing down Obama faced a choice about how to respond how hard to push Netanyahu I think Obama realized at that time that the price that he was paying for trying to Ram
• 40:00 - 40:30 something down nany's throat that Netanyahu didn't want to have Ram down his throat was not worth it wasn't worth it for him the Palestinians who had once cheered Obama's election now watched with disappointment as the peace process not only faltered but Israel continued to build settlements his approach has been to send signals but to Never follow up his signals with actual action he didn't back up his
• 40:30 - 41:00 statements against settlements with actual actions and saying to the Israelis you have to make a choice now do you want these settlements or do you want the money that we that we give you every year it's always just been one signal after another signal after another signal and this is an an area that deals well with signals this is is an area that requires concrete action he proved to the Israeli public look when I defend you even against the
• 41:00 - 41:30 strongest person in the world the president of the United States we still get what we need in defense terms and we still get this huge check from the United States he managed to prove that Israel didn't pay a price Israel has uh many friends and allies but when they're mistaken it's my obligation to speak out clearly and openly and say so ifo as expected continues to be the Prime Minister we can't expect continued tense relationship with the Obama
• 41:30 - 42:00 Administration Netanyahu would capitalize on his Defiance of Obama as he ran for re-election in 2015 he publicly lashed out at the president over his deal with Iran to curtail its nuclear program the deal currently on the table is deeply flawed instead of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons this impending deal will facilitate that development he said it was a grave security risk to Israel that would also fuel Iran's backing of Hamas it played
• 42:00 - 42:30 well to his base on the Israeli right he took an even harder line on the Palestinian issue
• 42:30 - 43:00 he came out plain and simple and said there will not be a Palestinian State and that was the true face of netan Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu's lud party has won what's being called a stunning reelection [Music] Victory netanyahu's election Victory emboldened his approach to the Palestinians he would take advantage of
• 43:00 - 43:30 the fact they were divided between Hamas and Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank he wanted to divide and he wanted to make sure that he doesn't have to negotiate any deal where you would connect between the territories and Gaza from an Israeli standpoint it makes sense divide and Rule keep the West Bank and Gaza a separate that's the best way uh to prevent a Palestinian State keep them
• 43:30 - 44:00 both weak but not weak enough where they collapse Netanyahu made a particularly fateful gamble when it came to Hamas with Gaza under blockade he allowed the wealthy Gulf State Qatar to give Hamas hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance he allowed Qatar to pay Kamas massive bags of cashh in to buy quiet to buy conness from Hamas
• 44:00 - 44:30 this money was spent on digging tunnels and buying rockets and producing weapons now killing Israelis while netan was telling us that he was our great protector he was actually contributing not directly to building Hamas and making it a regional power Israel has responded to a rocket attack from Gaza with three punishing air strikes Israel's military said the strikes were response to a rocket fired into Southern Israel Nan yahu has denied he was empowering Hamas and pointed to repeated military
• 44:30 - 45:00 offensives in Gaza against the group a containment strategy known as mowing the grass this notion that every so often there would need to be predictable rounds of violence mowing the grass as Israelis call it only to result in reinstating the status quo that existed before the violence was an untenable situation I
• 45:00 - 45:30 and others had argued that eventually something's going to give there's going to be an escalation that spirals out of control the situation becomes so dire in humanitarian terms in Gaza that there's a bigger explosion than anyone had anticipated and that's precisely what happened thank you with the Palestinians divided and Netanyahu pursuing a strategy keeping it
• 45:30 - 46:00 that way a new president with a new approach to the region came to power thank you I speak to you today as a lifelong supporter and true friend of Israel Donald Trump boasted he'd be the first US president to broker an Israeli Palestinian peace deal Donald Trump neither knew nor cared about the history of the Middle East or the failed efforts
• 46:00 - 46:30 at Middle East peacemaking what he knew or what he thought he knew was that there was a big deal that was looming out there and that if you could make it you'd get a Nobel Peace Prize and the deal of the century Trump surrounded himself with a team that included his son-in-law Jared Kushner who was a family friend of Netanyahu and David fredman a controversial figure who supported Israeli settlements you had these advisers on Israel all of them Jewish all of them strong supporters of Israel none of them with any particular
• 46:30 - 47:00 background in negotiation in the region in terms of peace talks but with very very uh uh developed uh positions and points of view he was anxious to see if there could be a peace deal reach between Israel and the Palestinians I will tell you candidly I I was skeptical of that from the beginning the White House Nyah has been full of praise for the president just one month mon into his term Trump invited Netanyahu to the White House to discuss the possibilities
• 47:00 - 47:30 for Netanyahu and his advisers this was first and foremost a moment of opportunity Trump seemed to them volatile unpredictable but perhaps unpredictable in ways that would benefit Israel BB and I have known each other a long time a smart man great negotiator and I think we're going to make a deal it Trump gave Netanyahu an early nod in his favor saying he would be open to something other than a two-state solution I'm looking at two State and one state and I like the one
• 47:30 - 48:00 that both parties like I'm very happy with the one that both parties like I can live with either one it shocked a lot of people I mean Trump was not of the conviction that there needed to be a two-state solution he thought that there could be any number of ways where this you know conflict could be resolved uh and the two-state solution was one of them but he he was certainly not pushing it that is really a sea change in American policy because basically going back for multiple presidents the idea of
• 48:00 - 48:30 an independent Palestinian State as part of an ultimate solution or resolution of this conflict has always been the idea and he's thrown all that out the window we expect president Trump any moment now Trump would soon follow that up with an even more surprising announcement fulfilling a longtime wish of netan today we finally acknowledge the obvious that Jerusalem is Israel's capital I am also directing the state department to begin
• 48:30 - 49:00 preparation to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem is their Capital if you put the American Embassy there you're seemingly putting your foot on the scale saying we take Israel's side in this this is a historic moment we told him from the day he started doing all that from the first day there will be no contact policy with you you are are completely and utterly boycotted you shall not be a a a trusted mediator in
• 49:00 - 49:30 this you are disqualified Palestinians took to the streets to protest the US knows that Jerusalem is the most sensitive issue that was a move by the US in a way to tell Israel that it has Jerusalem and deciding to have Israel pocket this before starting negotiations then you defitely do not want to have negotiations in the first place you do not want to see a peace
• 49:30 - 50:00 process ignited in the first place and you ain't interested in a two-state solution Al together please join me now in welcoming ambassador David fredman and in May of 2018 fredman Kushner Netanyahu and nearly a thousand guests gathered in Jerusalem for the official ceremony marking the move of the US Embassy Jerusalem is the heart and soul of the Jewish people even the most left-wing Jewish prayer books contain a prayer
• 50:00 - 50:30 that God will restore the Jewish people to Jerusalem so for the most important country in the world the most powerful country in the world to recognize Jerusalem was the capital of Israel the fact that that hadn't been done for so long was just an open wound it is now my great honor to call upon the prime minister of the state of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu what a glorious day remember this
• 50:30 - 51:00 [Applause] moment president Trump by recognizing history you have made history I was actually there I was anchoring our broadcast from the embassy in Jerusalem and uh I remember I uh looked around in the crowd it was just the crowd from one part of the political map you didn't see there a lot of people from the opposition you didn't see a lot of people from the peace camp or people
• 51:00 - 51:30 who were used to working with with the administration it was a party of the right we are in Jerusalem and we are here to stay and our brave Soldiers our brave soldiers are protecting the borders of Israel as we speak today we salute them all that day around 50 Mi South at the border with Gaza tens of thousands of Palestinians had gathered to protest the embassy move and Israel's ongoing
• 51:30 - 52:00 [Music] blockade Hamas urged protesters to break through the Border fence Israeli soldiers responded with rifle fire killing more than 60 [Music] people what the embassy move symbolized to Palestinians was that they were not going to have have a state with its capital in
• 52:00 - 52:30 Jerusalem because now the president of the United States had said that only Israel had a legitimate claim to Jerusalem and that it would remain eternally uh Israel's Capital unfortunately there was violent activity that day and and it ran its course so we didn't focus on that we focused on our ceremony peace will come upon us peace will come upon us peace will come for Netanyahu it was a high point in his relations with an American
• 52:30 - 53:00 president when President Trump came in and started to give all the gifts to netanyahu's Administration and to the Israeli public it was like you know every day was Boxing Day netanyahu's government began a rapid expansion of settlements in the West Bank the very move Obama had personally warned against because I can tell you that Israel does want to make peace the Trump Administration backed it reversing the US's 40-year position that the settlements were illegal the
• 53:00 - 53:30 establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law these settlements are not the impediment to peace and I believe as a matter of Law and as a matter of right and I believe as a matter of the Bible which didn't drive my views in office but certainly drives them now that I'm not a a public figure anymore as a matter of biblical law this land is is is is biblical Israel that little piece of land was
• 53:30 - 54:00 given by God to the Jewish people seeing the US performing behaving acting this way to the majority of the Palestinian people was definitely a source of hopelessness and you know what hopelessness is a very dangerous feeling uh and when hopeless accumulates over decades it's not it's no longer just dangerous it's
• 54:00 - 54:30 catastrophic the president of the United States and the prime minister of the state of Israel adding insult to injury for the Palestinians Trump and Netanyahu convened at the White House to announce what would be called the deal of the century I was not elected to do small things or shy away from big problems so there's this announcement in the White House and Trump comes out and he's very proud I've got this great deal it's
• 54:30 - 55:00 going to solve the Middle East uh peace problem here no sign of the Palestinians they want nothing to do with this that scene was the most vulgar expression of what the Trump Administration and the Netanyahu government were all about they were about liquidating the two-state solution liquidating the Palestinian issue and cause under this Vision Jerusalem will remain Israel's undivided very important undivided Capital the deal offered Netanyahu much
• 55:00 - 55:30 of what he wanted but that's no big deal because I've already done that for you right we've already done that but that's okay it's going to remain that way the deal of the century was a fantastic blueprint from the perspective of the netan point of view no settlements to be removed a rump Palestinian entity that they might call a state but was not really estate would have no control of its borders no control even of its own water uh no control of its airspace it
• 55:30 - 56:00 would not be able to function as a state it would be a collection of municipalities it is only reasonable that I have to do a lot for the Palestinians or it just wouldn't be fair now don't clap for that okay but it's true it wouldn't be fair I want to try to lure the Palestinians into the deal Trump promised International Investment worth $50 billion an American president stands next to an Israeli Prime Minister and tell them we
• 56:00 - 56:30 will buy you off with some money that scene has hit the heart of every Palestinian the heart of Palestinians who have been struggling for a 100 years then Netanyahu took the podium and went even further than the terms of the deal I hope that the Palestinians Embrace this he announced Israel was about to Annex almost a third of the West Bank Netanyahu announces that he's going
• 56:30 - 57:00 to proceed with annexation in the West Bank all of it's a unilateral claim on on territory and it really throws a lot of sand in the gears of what's going on here because if you start unilaterally claiming sovereignty over sections of the West Bank without having made any concessions what is the incentive for the Palestinians to come to the table and may God bless us all with security
• 57:00 - 57:30 prosperity and peace thank [Applause] you the Palestinians were now effectively sidelined but unexpectedly it set the stage for a major shift in the Middle East in the summer of 2020 Yousef alota a friend of Jared Kushner and the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the US saw an opportunity to propose a different kind of peace deal to Netanyahu not
• 57:30 - 58:00 between Israel and the Palestinians but between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors by this time many of the Arab governments are eager to have relations with Israel and the Palestinian issue is a nuisance on the way and for some of them they felt that they were always putting their interest second to the Palestinian cause and when Israel speaks of annexing parts of the West Bank the emiratis in particular the United Arab Emirates see an opportunity to prevent that annexation in exchange for a peace
• 58:00 - 58:30 deal Alo tyba said that the UAE and other Arab nations would consider normalizing relations with Israel if Netanyahu stopped his planned annexations the fact that the UAE would even consider signing a normalization deal with Israel um without consulting Palestinians was pretty remarkable um it's really a sign of just how much the region has changed in the past decade uh
• 58:30 - 59:00 and how much lower the Palestinian issue uh was now on the on even the priorities of Arab states I think they saw annexation as an opportunity for them that if they were able to Prevail upon the US and Israel to suspend that annexation that would give them sufficient political cover with the pal Palestinians to then move closer to Israel they could say to the Palestinians look we're moving forward with Israel but just so you know if it
• 59:00 - 59:30 wasn't for us the annexation would have occurred so you know we we have we have certainly uh considered your interest as well during this process at the White House Trump's team jumped on the idea which played into a long-held goal of Netanyahu this was netanyahu's theory of the case that the world was moving on from the Palestinians that in fact Israel could achieve meaningful and Lasting stability without having to
• 59:30 - 60:00 trade away land for peace to the Palestinians which had always been the premise of the two-state solution after talks facilitated by Trump's team Israel and two Arab countries the UAE and Bahrain announced they would normalize relations Netanyahu dropped his annexation plans it was the first first peace treaty between Israel and any Arab country in almost 30 years we're here
• 60:00 - 60:30 this afternoon to change the course of history ultimately the deal that Trump announces with great Fanfare at the White House is not a deal between Israel and the Palestinians it's not the mid east peace you were looking for it's a totally different issue it's a step forward it's a significant step forward this day is a pivot of History they doing all this without any real movement on the Palestinian issue for Netanyahu this was the crown jewel of his legacy
• 60:30 - 61:00 to a certain degree it's a wakeup call to the Palestinians to say guys you know what everybody's got their own issues not everybody is laying up at night worrying about [Music] yours the Abraham Accords were definitely seen as a betrayal by Palestinians and Palestinians in general felt that the Arab states had had abandoned them the Palestinian Authority called the Accords despicable Palestinians did not take
• 61:00 - 61:30 advantage of the opportunity the abrahamic cords made if the PA had gone to the to the Emirates and said okay you're going to do this it's okay we appreciate no annexation but here are some other things that you should be asking for and the amadis would have done it but they were so quick to sort of condemn them you betrayed us there's a constant theme of betrayal in the Palestinian narrative and there isn't a constant theme of
• 61:30 - 62:00 responsibility on the Palestinian side Iran sees the Abraham Accord as a threat it's the Abraham Accords would incite Israel's enemies and Seed conflict to come what you see if you're Hamas is the world is moving beyond you they no longer care it seems like about the plight of the uh Palestinians in Gaza and this is a deal that is essentially marginalizing Hamas marginalizing the Palestinians marginalizing their
• 62:00 - 62:30 grievance and they're left Wonder well What Becomes of us you know what do we do to get some attention to our cause [Music] again you cannot ignore the Palestinian people no matter how much you try by the power of the missiles and the tanks as we have seen throughout the years and now or by the power of the complete capitulation of a US Administration like
• 62:30 - 63:00 a trump or by the power of getting some Arab countries to normalize without a real solution all this all that does not work and shall never ever work May 2021 in Jerusalem violent protests erupted over the potential evictions of pales Ians from their homes the conflict escalated when
• 63:00 - 63:30 Israeli police raided the alaka mosque one of Islam's holiest [Music] sites from Gaza Hamas retaliated firing Rockets toward [Music] Jerusalem and in response Netanyahu launched multiple air strikes [Music]
• 63:30 - 64:00 it was just four months into President Joe Biden's term and the Israeli Palestinian conflict was suddenly front and center early in Biden's tenure he has sort of a test case of what's going to happen in Israel and Gaza region and the question for Biden is American president is okay what are you going to do about it he'd known Netanyahu for more than 40 years and as
• 64:00 - 64:30 Israeli forces pummeled Kaza he picked up the phone he basically is not willing to restrain Netanyahu at first he says we're with Israel they have a right to defend themselves he thought we don't criticize Israel on the world stage because they get enough of that but we hold them close and that way when we pick up the phone and we say time's up your military operation has run its course that they'll
• 64:30 - 65:00 listen as the violence intensified Biden pushed Netanyahu for a ceasefire it ended in a sort of a miserable draw a ceasefire was reached as usual the Israeli leadership were saying we've won this round ground again and Hamas is weakened and deterred we're stronger we proved our military might Hamas is
• 65:00 - 65:30 deterred but for Hamas the conflict was a breakthrough they used it to tout themselves as fighting not just for Palestinians in Gaza but in Jerusalem as well they bombed Jerusalem they bombed Tel Aviv they saw themselves as a regional leaders not as a local organization that is fighting Israel Over the B between Gaza and Israel Hamas now is not just protecting its fom in the Gaza Strip but now vying for
• 65:30 - 66:00 leadership of the Palestinian struggle as a whole by being the only party that is responding to events in [Music] Jerusalem in contrast to the impotence and ineffectiveness of the Palestinian leadership in romala in the wake of the conflict a photo of Yahya sinir hamas's leader in Gaza sent
• 66:00 - 66:30 a forboding message what sinel did which was quite interesting is take a picture of him sitting on an armchair the destruction around him was quite clear this was saying okay you're maybe stronger right now but I haven't lost anything I'm willing to go for another round whenever I choose at the same time time Hamas was also beginning to prepare its plan of attack something that it implemented so horrifically on
• 66:30 - 67:00 October 7th 2023 netanyahu's go-to strategy toward Hamas containment in Gaza was beginning to crack but his Focus was elsewhere that Yahoo is currently on trial for corruption allegedly accepting in aach of trust he he was embroiled in Scandal facing charges of bribery and Corruption
• 67:00 - 67:30 he and his coalition government were briefly toppled we'll be back [Music] soon his own personal affairs lead eventually to three different uh indictments on criminal charges including bribery charges that he has always claimed our bogus and our attempt to persecute him to regain power nanyu courted Israel's most extreme parties and so for Netanyahu he felt I have no chance but to go to the right even the
• 67:30 - 68:00 very far right Even parties on the extreme far right that is only C party had always shunned some members of leud warned him that this would be very dangerous that the whole government would take a very dangerous ideological Direction prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has inaugurated the most farri government in the country's history recently reelected and now the head of a new far-right government controversial plans to overhaul the justice system started
• 68:00 - 68:30 pursuing a dramatic overhaul of Israel's judicial system that would weaken the Court's power over the Executive Branch it was a sudden outpouring of Rage protests erupted across Israel BB is not here for the Democracy thank you very much we see hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the streets which is pretty amazing for a country of just 10 million people people and they are there week after week after week protesting netanyahu's efforts which they see as a
• 68:30 - 69:00 threat to democracy they see it as a power grab by the Prime Minister he's facing trials for fre different counts of corruption and for him it was uh a life or death moment he needed to change Israel's legal system so he could somehow stop the trial that led to I would say the biggest wave of protest in the history of the country and probably the most severe political crisis and social
• 69:00 - 69:30 crisis in the history of the country looking at this now after October 7 that seems like a sweet dream for Israelis but back then it was the country being on the bring of Civil War inside netanyahu's government intelligence officials worried that the political unrest was leaving the country vulnerable to its enemies in many
• 69:30 - 70:00 meetings the chiefs of Israeli intelligence warned Netanyahu that the political crisis and its effect on the military are perceived by Israeli enemy as the time to take more aggressive initiative against Israel there were actually quite a lot of warnings saying look we're creating here The Perfect Storm and at at one point or another one of our enemies would use that to start a war because they would feel that we're weak and that we're consumed with our
• 70:00 - 70:30 own domestic political problems but those protesting say that this is escalating into an existential battle for President Biden watched the situation with alarm and urged Netanyahu to reverse course they cannot continue on this road and uh I've sort of made that clear I hopeful hope hopefully uh the Prime Minister will act in a way that he going try to work out some genuine compromise but that remains to
• 70:30 - 71:00 be SE the president's meeting with Crown Prince Mohammad bin for Biden the unrest in Israel threatened to disrupt a plan he'd been nurturing to take the Abraham Accords to the next level in the Middle East he and Netanyahu had been quietly courting Saudi Arabia they did push and try to expand on the Abraham Accords in particular with a vision of Israeli Saudi normalization that would offer a dramatically different vision of the Middle East and one that would fit in
• 71:00 - 71:30 well to their vision of creating alliances in particular in competition with China and Russia by late September 2023 at the UN General Assembly in New York a deal was taking shape Netanyahu met with Biden for the first time since forming his far-right government there's a lot of anticipation leading up to this meeting you see the friendly version of Biden and BBE right you see the bonami you see the collegiality here we've been
• 71:30 - 72:00 friends for decades and yes we can disagree but on the important stuff we're on the same page and it's an important moment Biden used the meeting to discuss how to bring the Palestinians into the deal when he sat down with prime minister Netanyahu the main topic of that meeting which lasted almost 2 hours was about the Palestinians and and and how they fit into the Saudi deal now I'll say Gaza was not a part of that process and that's because Hamas is in charge of Gaza prime minister of the state of
• 72:00 - 72:30 Israel I invite him to address the assembly Less Than 3 weeks before the October 7th attacks Netanyahu would make a fateful speech he said we are going to have peace with Saudi Arabia and the Palestinians should not have a veto on that I've long sought to make peace with the Palestinians but I also believe that we must not give the Palestinians a veto over new peace
• 72:30 - 73:00 treaties with Arab states which is in a different language from my point of view the Palestinians can sorry excuse my French now for years my approach to peace was rejected by the so-called experts well they were wrong peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia will truly create a new Middle East the leaders of Hamas as they explain to us they see this and they understand that
• 73:00 - 73:30 in a moment the Palestinian issue will be completely taken off the world agenda now they came to the conclusion a jihadist conclusion of blood of murder of Massacre they wanted Regional War there's an Israel before October
• 73:30 - 74:00 7th and there is an Israel after October [Music] 7th the barbarity the hate the raping the burning the killing of children the Wu lessness those atrocities are second only to what the Jews met in the
• 74:00 - 74:30 Holocaust after October 7th every single isra I know is asking themselves one question is this a place where I can have a tomorrow is this a place where I can [Music] live Israel is at War we didn't want this war it was forced Upon Us in the most brutal and Savage way Hamas had
• 74:30 - 75:00 carried out the deadliest single assault in Israel's history and it had happened on Benjamin netan Yao's watch he saw himself as the greatest protector of the state of Israel and persuaded himself and his supporters that Israel was safe and that he could handle everything Hamas will understand that by attacking us they've made a mistake of historic proportions he would manage the Palestinian conflict without attempting
• 75:00 - 75:30 to solve it he would keep Hamas as an enemy entity but a weak one the problem of course is that he refused to accept the fact that actually some of his actions were pushing Hamas in the worst Direction possible Israel will win this war and when Israel wins the entire civilized World wins in Washington President Biden was visibly shaken by The Killing and taking
• 75:30 - 76:00 of hostages this was an act of sheer evil more than 1,000 civilians slaughtered not just kill slaughtered in Israel I was just a few feet away from him you could just see in his face and see in his mannerism that he really was viscerally outraged Moss offers nothing but Terror and bloodshed with no regard to who pays the price I don't think I've ever seen a president quite as angry in a speech as Biden was that
• 76:00 - 76:30 day let there be no doubt the United States has Israel's back we will make sure the Jewish and Democratic state of Israel can defend itself today tomorrow as we always have it's as simple as that these atrocities been sickening we we're with Israel let's make no mistake thank you Mr what was your reaction but despite his full-throated public
• 76:30 - 77:00 support as Israel began air strikes in Gaza behind the scenes Biden was concerned their position was no humanitarian assistance should go into Gaza until the hostages come home that was the unanimous View and the president wanted to go face to face and say we we cannot accept that we cannot accept that policy within days the president arrived
• 77:00 - 77:30 in Tel Aviv President Biden really wanted to make a statement with this trip it was really a very dramatic moment he is now descending the stairs of Air Force One making this historic visit to Israel the famous bear hug with its dual message of solidarity and caution he doesn't want to look like that he is telling the Israelis how to respond but he's just giving them the caution of a friend is
• 77:30 - 78:00 the way he would put it we're with you here but but be careful there are limits to how far you should go the bear hug approach hug Israel publicly uh show no daylight with Israel uh while privately delivering messages uh to show restraint and to be more cautious and and so forth that approach doesn't work it's never
• 78:00 - 78:30 worked there needed to be a more Stern message about the need to operate within the constraints of international law we are seeing unprecedented levels of Civilian casualties the vast majority of people who are killed in Gaza right now are women and
• 78:30 - 79:00 children and for what what is the upper ceiling is it 20,000 killed is it 100,000 what is the upper limit
• 79:00 - 79:30 the Bloodshed has played into hamas's hands they blessed they prayed they wanted this to happen so Israel will react with Force the whole region is destabilized and according to them the Palestinians are not forgotten they were willing to sacrifice Gaza and all the gazans in exchange of their Jihad a very intense few days of protest around the world the humanitarian crisis
• 79:30 - 80:00 from Israel's military response has brought widespread condemnation Israel is a terrorist State Israel is but with Hamas still holding hostages Nan yahu has been pushing forward if you go to Israel uh this is a country that is
• 80:00 - 80:30 United and mobilized behind this campaign the mounting isolation of the United States as it in the US there has been increasing pressure on President Biden to do more to restrain Israel's response we all want this war to end uh yesterday if someone says do you want the war to continue or stop the answer is of course stop but recognizing that uh if Hamas is fully intact it simply creates the conditions for the next conflict this is an incredibly difficult
• 80:30 - 81:00 uh dilemma uh it's something we are confronting uh really even at this hour in the face of the criticism the president has been trying to turn attention to the day after we're working very hard uh to bring it to a point of conclusion to which something better and more durable can be established uh including ultimately a Palestinian State and we've said that very clearly I think the only ultimate answer here is a two-state solution that's real I've been really struck by
• 81:00 - 81:30 the extent to which Joe Biden and some of those around him have immediately revived the language of the two-state solution what Biden seemed to want is to use this tragic moment for something bigger for two-state solution for negotiation and this is where he and nany are like in total different worlds now the two men who'd embraced on
• 81:30 - 82:00 the tarmac are increasingly at odds last week for the first time since the war started Biden criticized Netanyahu directly for what he called indiscriminate bombing he stepped up the pressure for Israel to scale back the military campaign and he called on Netanyahu to support a Palestinian State Netanyahu St out his own hard
• 82:00 - 82:30 line BB now here in Israel behind scenes is already talking to members of the liud party and right right-wing camp that I'm the only one who will stand against the two- State solution after this world ends if anyone can stand against Joe Biden and block the two states rizon it's me B we have a leader
• 82:30 - 83:00 who's mistrusted by most of the Israeli voters and yet he's leading us through our worst crisis since this country was established 75 years ago and this is part of the tragedy we may be facing not only our worst security situation but also a huge political crisis with no kind of solution on the horizon there is no going back everyone agrees Israelis Americans Palestinians Gaza West Bank anywhere you you ask everyone
• 83:00 - 83:30 agrees there's no going back to the October 6 status quo the question is where do we go from here is it a pathway to something less awful or is it more destruction and death and and something considerably worse than what we've had before those are still open questions [Music]
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